Photography: Jonny Smith | Scott Paterson | Daniel Bridle
Words: Daniel Allard
All Makes, All Models, One Community....
RH x BH 2019 Official After Movie
With our short time at Cressing Temple coming to a close, we knew we had a difficult task to fill some big boots. The old venue served us well and it was everything we wanted but with one awkward hurdle, the size. When the curtains closed in 2017, we set out to find a new home, somewhere with character and with room to stretch our legs...
From the first time we stepped onto the Bicester Heritage site for a Sunday Scramble we knew the ex RAF site was a dream venue for us, but were we ready to step up and rub shoulders with the likes of Luftgekuhlt and Petrolicious who have both put on equally successful events in the last 12 months? We pulled up our big boy pants and took the plunge.
With such big names putting successful events on at Bicester Heritage our main goal was to put our own stamp on the venue and put the strap line "All Makes, All Models, One Community" to work. Our goal was to bring the most diverse selection of automobiles and display them at one of the best venues in the UK and thanks to you guys we did just that.
With the applications coming to a close and the event drawing nearer we sat back and started to plan the layout and the one thing we quickly noticed was the bar had been raised and we have started to achieve our vision, from 1924 to 2019, a staggering 95 years of motoring was collectively put together for your viewing pleasure. At the centre of Hangar 113 was a collective of motoring history and if you're lucky enough to be heading to the GoodWood Revival you may spot one or two of these cars back in their true element.
Our routes lay where we grew up and the diversity of modified/enhanced vehicles was nothing short of awesome to witness, from your Model A Roadster to a MK7 Golf Clubsport S dialled in nicely on a set of E88's, all forms of the modified culture and styles were nearly tailored for and respected.
Whilst it's mainly cars you see on our social media pages our events wouldn't be possible without the owners, without the owners the cars would just be lifeless empty shells with nobody to tell their stories. This is why over the past few years we have started to bridge the gap with other "scenes" because at the end of the day unless it's a bike it will more than likely have four wheels and a steering wheel. So does it matter if your Golf is in concours condition or been nicely retro modified with a 20v? It shouldn't. Tastes and opinions may differ but helping a fellow enthusiast no matter the end result is what's important to us.
With the awards done and everyone heading home RH x BH 2019 was a wrap, with virtually everyone respecting the site and crew, we would like to thank everyone who attended and shared the day with us. The reception on social media was awesome and we loved to see what people captured and opinions of the event. So onto 2020..... what do we have planned?
You will have to wait and see.
A Brief History Lesson.
The Bicester site has got a bit of a decorated history. The first known military presence at the airfield was back in 1916 and over the two World Wars, the site grew and played an integral and important role in both. The RAF occupied the site until 2013 where it was sold, thankfully NOT to a housing developer!
In 2013 the next chapter of the site story began. The BH team have lovingly restored brick by brick over 90% of the existing buildings and opened the doors of them to some of the finest classic car companies, creating the first historic motoring centres right on our doorstep. And for that, we feel incredibly lucky.
But not all is complete, with further development going on in the technical site, a second technical site being planned and a 344 room hotel also being constructed on-site. The future is exciting and we look forward to being a small piece of it.
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